Karachi, Nov 16 : Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram has suggested that the ICC should give official status to the rebel ICL.

He pointed out that the current ICL season has attracted some well-known cricketers, especially from Pakistan and the league's matches were attracting huge crowds that, he added, sometimes numbered more than 70,000.

"The ICC should sanction ICL and I believe it will have to do that soon. The sort of cricket that is being played in the ICL and the huge crowds its matches are attracting is a proof that the ICL will eventually get recognition," The News quoted Akram as telling reporters here last evening

Akram said that some of the Pakistani cricketers playing in the league were still good for national duty. "Players like Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir, Mohammad Sami can still play for Pakistan," he said.

Akram believes that Pakistan will suffer a lot after banning their premier batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who joined the ICL recently, he said and added: "Yousuf is a great batsman and Pakistan will miss him once it starts playing the big games."

Pakistan had banned Yousuf from all kinds of first class cricket after he signed up to play for the ICL.

ANI